Have I Given Enough?

At the Hillsong NYC church, one of the pastors mentioned something interesting.
It also related to the sermons and Bible studies given at emc these past couple of weeks.

It went something like this.
There was a girl who was twentytwo years old. She had cancer and she died. The pastor had the privilege and honor of not just knowing her before she died, but also being there for her funeral. What stuck to the pastor most about her was not the cancer, but her servants heart and the willingness to do more for Christ. The pastor will never forget what she said on her death bed, "Pastor, did I do enough? Pastor, did I do everything I can? Did I give all I can and serve all I can? Did I help as many people as I couldve?" Even on her own death bed, she wasnt thinking about herself but she was thinking about others and the well being of others.

God called us to be like that. Thats our purpose in life: to Love God and love our neighbors.
How would it look like if we actually put that into action in everything that we do?

Jesus keeps us going.

Eunice sent me a link a couple of months ago to read this article, thanks Euni :)

5 Minutes with K.P. – What Keeps Us Going?
(http://gospelforasia-books.org/2010/11/15/5-minutes-with-k-p-what-keeps-us-going/) 

I am always intrigued when I watch the start of the marathon
during the summer Olympics. All the runners appear
to be in top physical shape, excited to represent
their countries and determined to win the gold medal.
However, it’s an entirely different story when I watch
them 15 or 20 miles later. They look exhausted from the hot
sun that beats down on them or miserable because of rain
that makes their road slippery. Some have trouble breathing
when the race takes them over a mountain, and others
struggle to keep up with the fast pace.

Although everyone, no matter how long it takes them to
cross the finish line, is celebrated with cheers and applause,
some runners will never get there. Somewhere along the
route they drop out of the race due to exhaustion, injury or
discouragement.

In the marathon race and in our Christian life, persevering
until the end is what it’s all about, not just starting
well. What do I mean? Don’t give up your walk with Jesus;
endure in the call He gave you to win this lost world and
build His kingdom.

Like the marathon runners, we, too, will encounter
adversities along the way that could cause us to quit the
race. What are some of these adversities?

• Relationship problems with other Christians that
  severely threaten our treasured self-life.
• Physical and financial setbacks that cause us to
  lose hope.
• Lack of apparent fruit and thus fulfillment in our
  service to the Lord.
• Facing our latent failures and sins that expose our
  unbrokenness, pride, selfishness, stubbornness or
  critical spirit.
• Frustration when serving the Lord becomes hard
  work and the feelings are gone.
• Feeling inadequate and overwhelmed by the expectations
  of others.
• Spiritual dryness that comes when God tests us
  to see if we will still walk with Him by faith, even
  when there is nothing within or without to support
  us.
• Losing sight of our priorities—shifting from serving
  the Lord to protecting our self-interests.

I have served the Lord full-time for the past 40 years.
From my own life and experience, I can tell you this: The
godliest Christian leaders I have met, the most challenging
sermons I have heard and the best books I have read on
evangelism and discipleship have not been enough to help
me survive in the race!

Only one thing has kept me in the ministry and following
Christ, and that is learning and practicing what the
writer of Hebrews said: “Let us run with endurance the race
that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher
of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1–2).

The secret of our survival is fixing our eyes on Jesus and
making Him alone our focus. Then our walk with God and
our commitment to serve Him will no longer depend on
whether or not people treat us right or circumstances are in
our favor. We will no longer rely on our emotions to support
us or on our successes to keep us going. Jesus alone
will become our goal and motivation—our prize—and we
will live for Him, run our race for Him and cross the finish
line for Him.

My dear friend, unless you learn to fix your eyes on Jesus
alone, you will have no stability in your walk with God
or in your service to Him.

Jesus Himself said, “Follow Me.”

Therefore, meditate on Him, consider Him and think
about Him so that you may not grow weary in your heart.
The answer to enduring until the end is not self-effort or a
rational attempt to figure out the answers, but rather to stop
and look into His eyes.

If we do this, all the things that surround us in this
world will become shadows in the light of Him. After all his
struggles, Job found the answer he was searching for when
he fell on his face and worshiped the Lord.

Look to Him. He’s waiting for you.

Change

Gandhi once said, "Be the change you want to see in the world"

Another great quote:

"It does not matter if you change the world! Don't let the world change you."

Too often we get caught up in the world and think we have to change who we are to turn our dreams into reality. In fact just the opposite is true! The better you , you can become, the faster you will start to live your dreams.

Who is Jesus to you?

10 Year Old Minister Delivers the Word

Wow, this is a boy we can definitely learn from! Preach it!

Prayer

Here's a thought:

 "If your prayers don't move you,
what makes you think it will move God?"

But let's put it this way:

"Let's be moved by what moves Him!"

Full of the Holy Spirit: To know God and his character.
In the Power of the Holy Spirit: When we know we have the God given strength and authority in our lives to walk out His will and to accomplish the assignment God has for us.

“The Christian’s life in all its aspects, intellectual and ethical, devotional and relational, upsurging in worship and outgoing in witness, is supernatural; only the Spirit can sustain it.” –J.I. Packer
(Taken from: http://theresurgence.com/2010/05/09/the-holy-spirit-gives-power)

I declare that I will be Full of the Holy Spirit and Walk in the Power of the Holy Spirit.